Shadow Boxer
by poordrunkenorphan
Summary: I'll haunt the world inside you.
1. First Taste

Chapter One: The first taste

"Darling just start the chase-I'll let you win, but you must make the endeavor."

(Sung to the tune of "I'm just a little black rain cloud" by Winnie the Pooh)  
"I'm just a poor little preeefect,

Forced into sleep dep-rivation.

I'm just a poor little preeefect,

Singing out of des-peration."

Draco was _bored_. He used to take late night strolls by himself before he became a prefect but for some reason making them mandatory took all the joy out of it. He had shifts where he would have to patrol the corridors for a little while and watch out for stragglers and love birds, in fact Draco had become one of the leading methods of birth control at Hogwarts, very much to his chagrin. But have faith that nothing can ruin your libido more than a cranky blonde Slytherin shining a wand in your eyes and threatening your first-borns (all of which would be conceived _after _Hogwarts thanks to said cranky blonde). Some of his Slytherin pals that were in less peril of being Avada'd had taken to calling him spermacide, which subsequently upped their names on his list of people to curse.

Draco was muttering his little song of self-pity and leisurely strolling the fifth floor corridor when he noticed a bright flash of something around a dark corner. Sighing to himself he followed after it, whatever it was. But once he had turned the corner he saw it turning another one, feet from where he now stood.

It was fast.

Picking up the pace he muttered a silencing charm on his shoes and crept swiftly along. He saw it again, a bright flash at the top of a staircase before it dashed along the corridor to its right. Draco skipped up two stairs at a time and ran down the hall, seeing the suspect occasionally illuminated by a strip of moonlight leaking through the small arched windows at the top of the corridors. He flew down a staircase right before it started to change positions and slid a few inches to a halt on the landing. It was right in front of him now and Draco stopped moving, wondering where it was headed since it had just gone up a staircase and then down another one bringing it back to the fifth floor.

"Lost?" He spoke loudly into the quiet shadows. The figure whipped around in shock and took a step back; right under a window that graciously shed moonlight on the form of Ginny Weasley.

"No," she said a little hesitantly, "I think I've got a pretty good idea of how to get around after six years."

"Then I dare-say you realize that this _isn't _the Gryffindor common room?" Draco gestured around them and smiled condescendingly at her.

"And people say you _bought _you're way into becoming a prefect. Obviously it was your stunning deductive skills." She blinked at him and crossed her arms.

"And it's _your _witty charm that has just landed you a detention." He had momentarily lost his smug expression with her effortless jab but now it was firmly back in place. "No wait, first it was your being out of bounds after curfew. Does that make two detentions? Yes I think it does." Without another word Ginny straightened up and walked right past him, heading for the dormitory.

"Sweet dreams!" Draco called after her.

Two nights after his run-in with Ginny, Draco was patrolling again, currently near the library. He was sipping a cup of coffee that he had just nicked (as was customary to call it by all those who knew they could "nick" an entire turkey dinner from the kitchens just by entering the room) from the kitchens when he saw a familiar shade of red scurry across a dark landing.

"Tut, tut, little Weasel," He murmured into his cup before pushing off the wall he had been leaning on and stepping into the middle of the hall. But as he started towards the small flight of stairs he had seen her go by a loud scuffling caught his attention from the other direction. He heard a high pitched giggle and instantly recognized it as belonging to Mandy Brocklehurst, a sixth year Ravenclaw who was out here at least every other night with a different boy in tow. Her downfall was always her shrill yelps and giggles. Draco grimaced and made for the vicinity in which the cry had come from, hoping that the Weaslette wasn't going to meet someone as well because the last thing the world needed was yet _another_ Weasley.


	2. Adagio Breezes Fill My Skin

Chapter Two: Adagio breezes fill my skin

Ginny dragged herself into the Great Hall and took a seat at the Gryffindor table. She had just come back from a walk around the lake which she had started around 5:00 that morning. In fact she hadn't gone to bed all night and wouldn't have the night before if Malfoy hadn't caught her. Being inside where it was warm and lively was such a sharp contrast with the last five hours or so spent alone in the dark but she almost couldn't discern between the two. She stifled a yawn and reached for a waffle feeling ravenous. After stuffing it in her mouth almost whole Ginny poured herself three cups of coffee and proceeded to drink each one.

"I'm going to tickle you later and see what comes out," Seamus Finnigan sat down across from her, nodding at her empty cups and plate.

"Most likely a host of words that would set your virgin-ears aflame," Ginny chided, reaching for another waffle.

"Virgin ears eh? You give me too much credit," Seamus said.

"I know," Ginny said wryly between chews.

"You look tired,"he said after a few seconds, sipping orange juice and peering at her over the top of his goblet. Ginny swallowed a large amount of waffle at once and winced slightly.

"Is that your polite way of telling me I look like crap?"

"No, no, I'd tell you if you looked like crap. Nah, you just look tired is all. You know we're only like five weeks into the first term right? You're not allowed to look that beat."

Ginny shrugged, not taking her eyes off the puddle of syrup she was playing with. The sticky sweet pool had contorted into a form that looked oddly like a snitch.

"Oh my gosh!" Ginny looked up and dropped her fork suddenly. "Seamus, we have _Quidditch!_" Seamus wiped a bit of juice off his chin that had escaped from his open mouth before they both hurled themselves from the Gryffindor table and flew out of the great hall at top speed.

"Finnigan! Weasley!" Harry yelled at them as they arrived twenty minutes late to their training session. He had taken to calling them all by their last namesafter he began his reign as Quidditch Captain. Harry hadn't wanted to be in a leadership position, he just wanted to be the seeker and find the snitch.

It was his bliss.

But there was no one better suited for the position so he took it. While he was getting used to the idea of himself being the one to rant at the team before every match and find the no-nonsense leader inside himself, he decided that it really wouldn't do to holler, "_Ginny_, pay more attention!" when compared with, "_Weasley! keep your eye on the ball_!" Plus it was just a Quidditch captain thing. Everyone did it.

"Where have you been?" Harry asked, swooping down to their eye-level and tossing them their brooms.

"You can't deny the call of the waffle Harry," Seamus said impishly before taking off.

"We overslept," Ginny offered before taking off after Seamus. She had meant it as a better excuse than _call of the waffle_, but as Harry watched her fly up to where Seamus was and playfully try and knock him off his broom Harry's mind was working in a different direction.

"_We _overslept?" Harry muttered aloud. He frowned, looking up at them before realization dawned on him and his eyes grew as round as his glasses, "_Seamus _and_ Ginny?_" He shook his head and took to the sky.


	3. And He Finds a Home in Me

Chapter Three: And he finds a home in me

"For what misfortune sows, he knows my touch will reap

And my winter is giving way to warm as I'm singing him to sleep"

It was his duty as prefect, slash, Head Boy to tell Ginny Weasley to stay in bed or for the love of Merlin to dye her hair black so she wouldn't get caught every night, but Draco couldn't will himself to call after her this time. He couldn't count the number of instances that he had seen her walking two flights down from where he was patrolling or just a glimmer of her red hair in the torchlight. The thing that kept him from giving her triple detention on this night was that her routinely escapades were ravaging his mind.

She never seemed to be going to any predestined place. Her directions were erratic and sometimes she simply went in circles. Maybe she was carrying on a torrid affair…maybe with a _teacher! _If that was the case then whoever it was was a lot better at keeping hidden then their red-haired honey. But Draco wasn't so sure that this was the reason, because he pretty much knew by now what people looked like after spooning for an hour in the dungeons. And Ginny Weasley just looked tired. And as Draco walked into breakfast the next morning, never having gone after her, he noticed that familiar flash in the sunlight and he saw that her consistent midnight strolls were taking their toll.

Despite the ever present bounce and shine of her hair that had become so ingrained in Draco's head her features were definitely lackluster. Her skin was pale and dull except for a lovely pair of dark circles blooming under her eyes. Her lids were heavy over her owl-like amber eyes and he pondered if that was why she seemed to not see where she was going: while she walked to the Gryffindor table the girl weasel barely picked up her feet and bumped into every possible obstacle on the way. He marveled at her complete lack of awareness and when she finally sat down to eat, wondered if she was going to get a bruise from the way she kept missing her mouth and poking the fork at her face instead.

"What's your secret Weaslette?" Draco muttered so quietly to himself that it sounded more like a small cough. "What are you doing?" Draco asked much louder, turning to Pansy who had just thumped him on the back.

"What?" She looked confused by his sudden irritation.

"Why did you just hit me?" He persisted.

Pansy let out a short crow of laughter and cocked an eyebrow. "You coughed; I was being friendly, calm down Draco."

He really had no idea what she was talking about so instead Draco nodded and turned back to his neglected breakfast.

"3:00am Weasel-like girl has just left the building and is now walking outside on the grounds." Draco whispered into the tip of his wand, which was performing a recording spell. He tiptoed after her shivering from the immediate drop in temperature.

"3:05am Weasel of the species female is walking around the lake."

"3:15am Still walking."

"3:20am Bloody hell when did the lake get so huge! …Walking."

"3:25am The Weasel Princess has finally stopped at the clear other side of the lake and is headed towards the forest."

"3:28am _Le Weasel a vu un grand arbre_"

"3:30am The Great _Comadreja _appears to be harboring some sort of secret garden on this side of the lake… hidden by a really big tree near the forest."

"3:31am I knew that I know French, but when did I learn the Spanish word for Weasel?"

"3:32am Oh right when I was learning how to insult the Weasel King in every possible language…ha! Take that Weasley!"

Draco silenced himself for a while in order to watch Ginny do whatever it was she did out here. A small plot of land had been turned over and bordered with stones. In the area were a few bunches of flowers and sprouts. He wasn't a gardener by any means, so maybe everybody handled their plants with such care, perhaps it was obligatory to look at the sprouts as if they were your own children, and just maybe every flower enthusiast there ever was whispered and sang to their plants while they patted the rich brown soil and watered the leaves like they were administering a bath. Or maybe Ginny Weasley was displaying more compassion to a mound of dirt and some weeds than Draco Malfoy had ever experienced in his entire life.

While she kneaded the earth and hummed a lullaby that vaguely registered with Draco he sighed softly and leaned his head against the stiff bark of a tree. Her hair spilled over her shoulders hiding her face from view except for the very tips of her lips, which he could see move ever so slightly during a break in the melody, where she would whisper endearments to the earth that she tended to.

It was almost an ethereal thing: watching something so pure and uncomplicated while the shadowy trees rustled in the cool wind and the smooth dark lake reflected the smooth dark sky just yonder from where Draco sat, breathing in the scent of night and grass. He was so calmed by his surroundings that he felt himself wishing to just lay his head down on the ground and listen to her humming all night. But as soon as he realized what time it was he knew that he needed to get back to the castle and go to sleep or he would look as bad as she did in the mornings.

So without a sound Draco got to his feet and hurried back around the lake, stopping just once to look back on the peaceful scene before continuing onward… which was very fortunate indeed, because if he had lingered any longer he might have been privy to see Ginny Weasley drop her robes and take a chilling dip in the lake.


	4. Early Bed, Late Thoughts

Chapter Four: Early Bed, Late Thoughts

" Take the shade from the canvas and leave me the white"

Draco went about his daily tasks and when night came he went to bed with every intention of actually getting some sleep. But as he lay down at a decent hour and tried to empty his mind, thoughts of the littlest Weasley kept creeping in because she intrigued him so. He had followed her almost every other night for two weeks and she was always somewhere to be found, doing something that meant nothing to everyone but her. He got to visit the garden a few more times and once even caught her in the lake! Naked! Sometimes she would scan the books in the library but that never lasted long because Filch and Mrs. Norris often walked by there and there had been some odd visits to a haunted girls toilet where she would just stare at a sink while a hideously annoying ghost demanded sympathy. But he wasn't any closer to figuring out _why_ she did this.

And so were his thoughts all night long. Try as he might Draco had to admit to himself that there was _something_ about this odd girl that itched and bugged him, so that when he actually wanted a rest this _something_ in him couldn't be bothered to allow it.

He turned on his side and clutched a fat feather pillow, then flipped over on his stomach only to flip over to his back. He shoved the pillow over his face and tried to lie perfectly still. With a groan he threw the pillow across his Head Boy room and sat up, deciding that if he wasn't going to sleep than he could at least get some work done. So he landed his feet on the ground and walked over to a large desk where a pile of books and parchment were waiting for him.

As far as he could see she NEVER slept. It was insane, she dragged her feet and looked like a zombie and yet she didn't even seem to make the effort. Worse yet was that he had also developed a bizarre habit; when Ginny Weasley didn't sleep, neither did he. Draco's mind had turned against him and no matter what tricks he tried there was no convincing it, sleeping droughts left him feeling nauseous and being knocked out didn't sound like much fun. Following the girl wasn't even just a curiosity anymore it was something to do during the long hours of the night when he had nothing else.

What was more, Ginny was apparently a very practiced nocturne, because all over the castle she had little projects and secret hideaways and Draco became more and more involved with her life without her knowledge as he trailed behind her night after night. It couldn't be helped really, when you followed someone for almost eight hours every night they had a way of creeping into your thoughts even when not around. And when Draco dozed off during class, guess who occupied his dreams?

Finally he had had enough. "Alright Weasley, your coming with me," he said at last one night, stepping out of the shadows.

"What?" She was completely startled and started to back away

"Don't worry I'm not going to give you detention, I just need you to get some sleep."

Acting as if that made any sense to her he picked Ginny up and carried her rigid body till they reached a large portrait of a frog holding a golden ball and he whispered something inaudible to it. It swung open and he stepped inside, walking till they reached the bed which he promptly threw her down onto.

"Now you will sleep or I will give you a potion and make you sleep okay?" Draco said sternly.

Ginny looked up dumbfounded. "Um. Why would I sleep in… _your_ room?" She squeaked, looking around and registering where she was.

"Because if you don't sleep here then I won't be able to make _sure_ that you sleep at all. Now get to it."

They stared at each other, Ginny not moving from where he had dropped her on the soft duvet cover and Draco standing expectantly over her.

"Right, I suppose you'll be needing something to sleep in." he wandered over to the wardrobe and began rummaging through it. He had a massive collection of clothing and indeed there was a chest of drawers and a small trunk in the room as well. He handed her a pair of acid green silk pajamas and continued to give her an impatient look as though she should know exactly what was going on.

"Oh…" suddenly he looked less severe, "I'll um go…over there." He said realizing she probably didn't want to change in front of him.

Ginny really wasn't sure what to think. Draco Malfoy had kidnapped her, given her pajamas, and told her to go to sleep.

In his bed.

Oh god was he trying to seduce her? No…she thought that must not be it because surely he was a little more suave and debonair when he tried to seduce women? At least she certainly hoped so. Quickly before he wandered back into the room and before she gained enough sense to wonder why she wasn't putting up a fight Ginny unbuttoned and unzipped her uniform and pulled the silk over her head. Miraculously it fit her and it felt marvelous. Ginny stood there not sure that she should just climb into the bed and dreading how awkward it would be when he came back. But sure enough the time came and Draco padded back in, this time in pajamas of his own. He was wearing a pair of loose fleece pajama bottoms that were a forest green color.

That was it. No shirt. Ginny's eyes widened, her thoughts going back to the question of seduction when presented with his lean sinewy torso, pale and smooth looking just like the rest of him. For a moment she wondered if that would be such a bad thing but then realized how frightening the situation really was. What the _hell_ did he think he was doing abducting people in the middle of the night and bringing them back to his lair?

Noticing that she was still just standing around and that she looked incredibly tense and scared he took a step forward. She took a step back. He took another step forward and Ginny's legs bumped into a chair.

"Oh for Merlin's sake Weasley I'm not trying to frighten you." she looked dubious.

"I," he began and then stopped. He had a blank expression for a moment before he shocked her further by letting out a brief rumble of laughter. "Wow, Weasley, you know I just realized how weird this probably seems." Ginny didn't say anything but continued to stay perfectly still like a frightened animal.

"Look I just want you to get some sleep okay? That's all; I'm not going to ambush you in the middle of the night or anything of the sort. Just, you know, crawl into bed and I'll sleep on the couch." He motioned to a cushy looking settee that was stationed in front of a small fireplace. He didn't explain why she needed to sleep, and he didn't say anything else to further elaborate this strange situation, but his wishes were very clear and as far as Ginny could tell completely harmless. So she did as she was told and lifted back the heavy coverlet on the bed and climbed under it, pulling the soft shield all the way up to her neck. Draco clapped once and the lights went out while he settled himself on the settee.

There's no explaining the feeling of complete absurdity and strangeness that the unlikely pair experienced then.

Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley were in a room together in the dark for reasons not quite clear to either of them and the silence was deafening while each of their minds registered this and tried to conclude how on earth they had found themselves there.

Draco silenced his thoughts of how odd it actually was by deciding the end justified the means and there was no reason for him to feel completely uncomfortable because he'd gotten what he wanted and she was going to go to sleep. And somehow he felt absolutely sure that if she slept then so could he. Unless she was just going to lay there instead, with her eyes open all night. Shite. Go to sleep Draco.

Ginny was so utterly confused. Sure she hadn't been sleeping but where did _Malfoy_ fit into this and why had she done nothing to prevent it? She just let him do what he wanted-she _obeyed _him. But somehow it didn't seem like that. It seemed instead that she had merely acquiesced to a very reasonable and in no way condescending request. He had even volunteered his bed to her. The thought slightly amused her that Draco Malfoy had probably never slept on anything short of a king sized bed his entire life and here he was sleeping on his own couch for a Weasley.

_Why_!

Everything had happened so quickly and she was baffled beyond comprehension. Deciding that if she didn't stop for now that her head would explode, Ginny chose to make herself shut up for the time being and ignore the fact that she wasn't alone and just go to sleep. She really didn't want to know what would happen if she didn't. So she slept.


	5. I See In Different Lights

Chapter Five: I see in different lights

The morning after, Ginny rolled over and nestled further into the soft Egyptian cotton sheets. She inhaled the scent of soap and cologne and _boy_…wait a minute. Ginny's eyes flew open when she realized where she was. It was bright, did that mean that he was up and she would have to have an early morning conversation with Malfoy? Cautiously Ginny sat up, still clutching the covers under her chin, and peered around the room. It didn't look like he was still there although she was looking at his settee from an odd angle. Her eyes scanned a dark leather chair adjacent with the emerald velvet of the settee; the windows were adorned with yards of silver silk material and a heavy mahogany desk sat next to a towering bookcase that held an extensive collection of thick leather-bound tomes. The room exuded dark luxury. She marveled for a moment at how spoiled the Head boys and girls must be before realizing it was probably just Malfoy who's room was decorated this lavishly and the others were most likely content with just having their own rooms.

"Hmm." She mused quietly aloud, almost wanting to laugh at having woken up where she did. She stretched her arms high above her and decided she'd better get dressed and leave. After she pulled her sweater over her head and moved on to tie her shoes she contemplated a brief snoop around. How often was it that anyone got a free shot at rifling through the belongings of the most notorious boy in Hogwarts…other than Harry Potter? But she shook her head and thought better of it. The idea of being caught or questioned about it was unbearable and she really did need to get down to breakfast.

She climbed ever so quietly out of the portrait hole and tried to be nonchalant until she reached the Great Hall. Taking a seat at the Gryffindor table she tried to peek over her goblet at Malfoy but he looked exactly the same as always. He didn't look at her and he didn't look particularly guilty, just sat in his chair with perfect posture-elbows nowhere near the table, and commenced with his chocolate chip pancakes. She smiled a little as he also proceeded to drizzle syrup on top, as if they weren't sweet enough. Was that powdered sugar he had now? Ugh, her teeth ached just thinking about it.

"Mind if I sit here?" A tall boy with tan skin, dark hair, and ocean blue eyes, stood next to her implying towards an empty seat.

"Oh no, not at all." Ginny's eyes pulled away from the Slytherin table and turned to the boy.

"You looked like you could use a neighbor." His hair was flopped over his eyes and he smiled easily at her.

"Oh, well thanks." Ginny smiled back, he already had a very friendly nature about him.

"My name's Geoffrey by the way," he said "Geoffrey Hooper."

"Yes, I'm-"

"Ginny Weasley of course," Geoffrey finished for her.

"I'm afraid my hair must have introduced me once again before I got the chance," Ginny said, fingering a lock of her long red hair.

"Yeah," he chuckled lightly, "I guess the name most often precedes your personality too huh?" Ginny noticed how the question was both obvious and very personal.

" I'll have to admit to that too," she said, still playing with her hair, "my family's friends are my friends and my family's enemies are my enemies. Apparently if you've met one Weasley you've met them all." She didn't mean for her tone to sound so bitter, but Geoffrey looked sympathetic.

"That must be a real pain in the arse. It hardly seems fair."

"It's not." She admitted.

"Do you want to know why everybody talks about your hair?" Geoffrey asked suddenly. Ginny waited curiously for his answer.

"It's not like you're the only red-heads to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts, but at the same time you are. Because most people don't have _red_ hair they have orange. It really amazed me the first time I met one of your brothers because…it's not carrot, but tomato."

Ginny laughed, "Not campfire flames but blazing fires of hell flames." They both laughed.

"It's really brilliant," Geoffrey concluded, looking intently at Ginny's hair now, making a blush creep across her cheeks. "You know I think the only other people with an equally curious shade are the Malfoys."

"_Malfoy_?" Ginny blurted out, her blush deepening when she reflected that she had woken up in his pajamas.

"Well yeah, now that I think about it. I mean yours is like fire right? And his is like…ice. It's really odd, I'm never sure weather to call him a blonde prat or a whitey-silverish-maybe-just-a-bad-dye-job prat." Ginny giggled and Geoffrey grinned.

"Well as long as mine is prettier," She joked.

"It is," Geoffrey assured her nonetheless, not breaking eye contact for a moment till he turned to reach for a pitcher of juice. Ginny felt herself grow warm again and turned to her own toast, remembering that at breakfast you were supposed to eat.

"So you know all about my family, what about yours?" Ginny queried, munching and smiling gently.

Draco watched as she entered the room and was pleased to notice a definite freshness and exuberance in the way she walked. No more dragging her feet. He smiled smugly and picked up his fork. They were having chocolate chip pancakes today and he had been anticipating it all week. As far as he was concerned they had far too many days of porridge or bacon or cereal. He never wanted those bland foods, he wanted sugar and he wanted it all the time. He greedily drizzled syrup and powdered sugar onto his babies and reflected on the night before. Perhaps he should have made it seem like she had more of a choice. For example giving her the option to at least walk to his room rather than being carried right away although it was really for convenience sake because he didn't think she would ever go willingly.

Perhaps the less she knew the better. He didn't want to have to explain himself to her, like how he had followed her around and how he couldn't sleep when she couldn't. Actually he didn't even want to think about that himself. If one night's sleep could get her to pick up her heels he wondered what a weeks worth would do.

Draco looked up for a moment and noticed that Ginny was now talking to a rather good-looking (not near as pretty as he of course) seventh year and they were laughing. Draco frowned, that boy was reaping _his_ benefits. If he had seen her glassy eyed and snoring into her cereal he probably wouldn't be looking so friendly. For some reason this bothered Draco but he left the thought alone so he could focus on his plate of sugar.


	6. Darling Give Me Your Absence Tonight

Chapter Six: Darling give me your absence tonight

At 1:00 as always Draco scanned the corridors and found her on the fifth floor walking aimlessly, observing the paintings while she swept by. She heard him coming and turned when he was just a foot away.

"Malfoy what are you playing at?" She asked, apparently not so in shock as the night before.

"I was going to ask the same thing of you, but obviously you really can't help yourself." He continued to close the distance between them.

"What do you mean I can't help myself, and what was last night about anyway? Do you always lure things into your room at night?" She seemed angry but still very tired.

"I already told you Weasley, you need to sleep, now come on."

"Come on?" she looked at him incredulously. "You just expect me to follow you to your room?"

"You're right. Last night was much easier." He watched her eyes widen in understanding as Draco bent swiftly to put one hand on her back and the other behind her knees and sweep her off her feet.

"WHA..!" Ginny squeeked, "Malfoy put me down right now!" She hissed trying to stay quiet.

"I wouldn't have to do this if you'd just be a good little Gryffindor and crawl into bed like the rest of us normal people."

"Why do you care if I sleep or not?" She had quit struggling as his grip on her was too strong and it was tiring her out. Draco ignored the question. "You know if you're going to continue to assault me every night then maybe I'll just stay in my dormitory, since you seem so oddly concerned about my sleeping habits."

"You have no sleeping habits Weasley, merely waking ones." He replied, shifting her weight slightly while they climbed down their second flight of stairs. Ginny knew she was lying anyway; she couldn't stay awake if she was enclosed in such a small space as the dorms or the common room.

"If you really insist on being difficult then I may have to escort you straight after dinner and make sure you get there. Not that you'll stay there." he said. They were on the second floor now, much closer to the dungeons and his room, but he seemed to be carrying her effortlessly.

"Oh I'm sure that would go over well," She pouted, realizing that she was helpless as to what she did at night anymore. It seemed odd that he could take that power away so easily but if she told anyone they would make her go to bed or at least stay in the tower and she'd have to rat them both out for being out past curfew.

"Come on Malfoy this still doesn't make sense. Am I hurting you in some way by staying out so late? Why not just give me detention?" Ginny was genuinely curious but he ignored her again. They reached his Portrait in silence and he whispered the password for it to open. He carried her in and this time set her down on her feet. He whispered a locking charm on his door and Ginny looked at him questioningly, hoping to get a real answer but Draco merely raised his eyebrows as if to say, "What exactly do _you_ want?" like she shouldn't be interested in why her nighttime fate was now resigned over to him.

He went into the bathroom as before to change into his own pajamas and Ginny noticed that the silk ones from the previous night were folded and laid out on the pillows waiting for her. She let out a short bark of laughter upon seeing them and then sighed and began to change.

"Do I no longer get to brush my teeth?" She asked when Draco had come back in, without a shirt on again much to her chagrin- why though she did not know.

"I suggest you bring it with you next time," he said, infuriatingly sensibly. "Goodnight Weasley." He said and clapped his hands leaving her standing in the dark and feeling completely stupid like she should know what was going on. Suddenly very angry Ginny flopped on the bed and hoped in vain that she either talked in her sleep or snored really loudly.

And so it carried on like this, the next night he had found her out on the grounds, though how he knew where to go she couldn't fathom. The night after, they had had an honest to goodness chase through the castle till she was trapped and Draco had hauled her over his shoulder to top off the whole ridiculous affair.

After that Ginny took his advice and not only did she bring her toothbrush but an assortment of other toiletries so she could stop skipping breakfast or being late for class just to get a brush through her hair. Every night her pajamas (funny how she now had her own designated pair) were folded on the pillow and it had come to the point where she was through with the embarrassment of being carried every time. So on this evening, almost a week later, there was an awkward…_thing _in the air because she was actually walking voluntarily and this meant they had to walk together.


	7. I'll Haunt the World Inside You

Chapter Seven: I'll haunt the world inside you

previous chapter: she was through with the embarrassment of being carried every time. So on this evening, almost a week later, there was an awkward…_thing _in the air because she was actually consenting and this meant they had to walk together.

Draco was content to walk in silence, but there was an annoying tension between them as they wandered the dark corridors together that kept telling him to think of something to say.

"So what is it you _do _little Weaslette, while wandering the castle at night? I'm really rather surprised that Filch hasn't caught you enough times to hang you by your ankles."

Ginny's eyebrows hit her hair, was he trying to have a normal conversation?

"I walk. I explore parts of the castle that I wouldn't usually. As for Filch, well Fred and George taught me better than that." She said simply.

In his head Draco smiled, thinking of the secrets that had probably been passed down to her by those two pranksters.

"Why not just get all your homework out of the way if you insist on being nocturnal?" He asked.

She furrowed her brow trying to decide if she should tell him anything but since they had already been at this crazy game a whole week and as he had never before tried to talk to her she thought she should take what she could get. Besides, his civility was unnerving.

"Sitting still for too long or doing something as boring as homework would put me to sleep." Ginny said, having tried this herself before.

"So you fight it?" Draco turned to her, the curiosity in his voice breaking through. "If your body _wants _to sleep why not let it?" He didn't take his eyes off of hers.

Ginny bit her lip but said nothing. If he could avoid telling her why he made sure she slept then she too could be silent about why she didn't.

"Too many dreams about Potter?" He sneered suddenly, "Did the disappointment of waking up alone, without him, prove too much to handle?"

"Oh sod off Malfoy!" Ginny said irritated, pulling a face at his accusation. "And for your information, _not_ that it's any of your business, I don't like Harry anymore."

"Ooh, lovers quarrel? Did you have a falling out?" He couldn't help it; it was a force of habit.

"We never had a falling in," Ginny said, then wished she hadn't because it made her sound rather pathetic. "Don't even say it Malfoy." She added just as he opened his mouth.

"Okay so it's not Potter and it's not insomnia. I will figure it out you know," he smirked at her and she scowled which only made his smirk wider. When they reached the frog portrait Draco inclined his head towards her for a second before he said, "caput draconis" obviously not bothering to keep his voice down. Ginny was slightly taken aback by his act of faith, how did he know that she wouldn't invite the whole of Gryffindor tower in for a party? But Draco took no notice as he walked in. While Draco was in the other room Ginny sat down on the end of the bed and wondered if they were going to talk some more.

She didn't really know what to say to him, he was apparently a very tight-lipped individual or at least when he talked he had a way of avoiding any meaningful topics about himself. Much like with Geoffrey, Ginny felt she was divulging too much information about herself. Geoffrey Hooper had become a good friend, especially when you considered that she didn't really have many good friends. They often studied in the library or took walks out on the grounds. He was very easy to get along with. But Ginny found that more and more her mind drifted over to Draco and it disconcerted her. Mainly she was just deathly curious as to why this had all come about, but that lead to further questions about him and she tried many times in vain to figure him out. They didn't talk outside of their odd-hour-rendezvous' it was just some odd development that they both seemed to have accepted even though there was so much left unanswered and unknown between them.

Being perfectly honest with herself, it gave Ginny a little thrill every time she thought about what they did. It was secret and it was new and she was actually a little bit glad to have something exciting going on in her life for once. Not that anything exciting happened in Draco's room.

Draco walked out; his Green fleece pants had been traded for black ones and Ginny noticed with an odd sense of intrigue that Draco had very nice feet. She looked up at him to see if he was going to say anything more. He was adjusting his blankets so Ginny opened her mouth first, taking a breath to speak right as he clapped and she was once again left in the dark. She really had to stop letting that happen.

It was three am. Draco tried to figure out why he was awake all of a sudden.

"Bloody sofa," he muttered, wondering if they couldn't trade off. Then he heard an odd gurgling noise; it made him jump until the noises turned into words.

"Mmmalfoy…" he heard Ginny mumble and his ears immediately perked up. He turned to her in the darkness and waited for more.

" Mmaggrrnn…dirty!" she shrieked. Draco's eyes widened and he leaned in closer.

"Mmm yess it's nice. Yerr fantastic!" Fantastic really sounded more like fatasmic but he got the idea and his eyebrow was hooked so high it was in danger of coming off his face.

"I'm fantastic huh?" he asked quietly and chuckled to himself.

"Ooooh, yor going too sloow, let me!" Draco jumped off his settee and crept over to his bed to get a look at Ginny. She was smiling and had one of her hands reached up slightly, clutching something that only she could see.

"bllmmmsg…balllss.." Draco was blushing but he didn't care one bit.

"Little Weasel has a dirty mind." He smirked, looking at her with interest. Her deep red hair was splayed out on the pillow and her arched neck was being displayed perfectly in his half buttoned silk shirt, exposing her rich white throat and the shadow of her collarbone.

"Malllfoy meyowani ride?"

" _Ride_?" he choked out and grinned.

"Don't you llove Quidditchchc?" She spouted next, unaware of the boy next to her as his face fell.

"Quidditch?" he asked confused. "Who said anything about Quidditch?"

"Gett the ball!" she shouted and Draco gave her one last disapproving look before climbing back onto the sofa and muttering dejectedly, "What kinda girl dreams about bloody Quidditch?" Although, for some reason, a small smile played at his lips when he realized that she had been dreaming about him.


End file.
